City-sized SUV is the most convincing new model from MG yet

2017 MG ZS new car review

City-sized SUV is the most convincing new model from MG yet

2017 MG ZS new car review

24 Apr 2017Andrew Maclean

There have been no miracles so far in the second coming of boutique British brand MG.

The now Chinese-owned car maker, once renowned for its open-top sportscars like the Midget and MG B, has been revived with a lacklustre family-focused range of small hatchbacks and a compact SUV, none of which run close to the benchmarks in their respective classes.

However, that may change later this year with the arrival of the MG ZS, the brand's city-sized SUV which we sampled in China last week ahead of its public debut at the Shanghai motor show.

As far as first impressions go, it is much more convincing than the larger GS soft-roader and light years ahead of the ageing MG3 and MG6 hatches in terms of how it drives and the overall quality of its cabin, which is a positive sign for the long-term prospects of the brand.

The ZS is due to go on-sale in Australia in September, and will be offered in at least three model grades with prices expected to start at around $17,500, undercutting its primary rivals such as the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V and Mitsubishi ASX.

MG turned to Europe for inspiration when shaping the ZS' cabin.

Th entry-level model will be powered by a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder with a four-speed automatic transmission while two higher-grade variants, determined by trim and equipment levels, will feature a more modern 1.0-litre turbo charged three cylinder with a six-speed automatic.

It is the latter that we drove at MG's Guangde proving ground last week.

With borrowed design cues from other car makers, the ZS isn't necessarily an attractive car in the metal but nor is it offensive from any angle. It does appear, however, to be a little bigger than its rivals, which it is.

And that translates to a generously-sized cabin with plenty of headroom for both front and rear passengers, heaps of legroom in the back and a massive boot that is deep and easy to access.

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The cabin is nicely presented too, particularly in the top-spec model which comes with body-colored highlights on the Audi-style turbine air vents and contrast stitching on the leather-trimmed seats. There's decent small item storage in the centre console, large bins in each door and adequate connectivity with a colour multimedia touchscreen in the centre of the dash and two USB power outlets in the binnacle ahead of the gear lever.

We'll reserve our full and final judgement on how it drives until the ZS arrives in Australia as we only sampled it around a circular exercise on the ultra-smooth tarmac of the proving ground's massive skid pan, but initial impressions are positive.

The engine won't win any green-light grands prix but it is powerful enough to feel spritely away from a standstill and has decent mid-range pulling power that should make for easy overtaking and climbing hills at highway speeds.

Unlike other three-pot engines, it is reasonably quiet under heavy acceleration with only a hint of a throbbing exhaust note that usually characterises motors of this type.

It works well with the automatic in that the shifts are relatively smooth and it kicks-down intuitively when a lower gear is called upon.

The front-drive chassis appears to be well-sorted too without raising the bar in any dynamic area. It steers well with a linear feeling across the ratio, it responds predictably to changes of direction and there's little in the way of torque steer where the wheel tugs at your hands under acceleration. The suspension generates some body roll through the bends and the front-end can push wide if you're too eager with mid-corner speed, but otherwise it seems sure footed and well controlled.

We tested the car at a Chinese proving ground.

We can't tell how the ZS will translate to running over Australia's pock-marked roads as the surface on which we drove it was billard-table smooth, but it appears to have reasonably soft suspension settings that could mean it is either respectably compliant or a bit wallowy. Time will tell on that one…

It will also determine whether MG can gain any traction locally too, but the ZS, if it is priced right, is a more convincing offering than any of its other models so far. And one that could stack-up against its competition as a legitimate alternative.

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Drive Comments

jeta | 24 Apr 2017 02:03

Oh dear.

Herman the German Car Lover | 24 Apr 2017 03:02

Buy 1x Mazda CX3. Disassemble, reassemble using inferior components and materials, add wheezy 1.0 engine and claim its all your own work. Put it out for the kerbside garbage collection, its just cheap junk.

Dilly | 24 Apr 2017 10:01

FYI, light year is a unit of measurement for distance, not for time...

Bazzi Dilly | 24 Apr 2017 22:24

Dilly, yes of course everyone knows that. The term light years ahead means, a very long way, and relates to distance, not time. It's strange that a pedant would know that.

DJM61 | 28 Apr 2017 22:06

Should be MC not MG. Mobile chicane. A new form of traffic calming. Camry drivers will find these annoying.